Astrophysics Science Division

The Astrophysics Science Division supports the GSFC astrophysics projects by providing scientific leadership and supports a research program to achieve NASA's strategic science goals. The key questions addressed by the Divisions research programs include:

• How do galaxies, stars, and planetary systems form and evolve?
• What is the diversity of worlds beyond our solar system?
• Which planets might harbor life?
• What powered the big bang?
• What is Dark Energy?
• What happens to space, time and matter at the edge of a black hole?
• What are the cycles of matter & energy in the evolving universe?

  + Read more about the Astrophysics Science Division
  + Read more about our Laboratories

• Astroparticle Physics Lab
• X-ray Astrophysics Lab
• Gravitational Astrophysics Lab
• Observational Cosmology Lab
• Exoplanets & Stellar Astrophysics Lab

• Branches & Offices

IYA 2009

Links

Astronomy Picture of the Day

HEASARC Picture of the Week

News Feature

Image Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab NASA's Fermi Mission, Namibia's HESS Telescopes Explore a Blazar An international team of astrophysicists using telescopes on the ground and in space have uncovered surprising changes in radiation emitted by an active galaxy. The picture that emerges from these first-ever simultaneous observations with optical, X-ray and new-generation gamma-ray telescopes is much more complex than scientists expected and challenges current theories of how the radiation is generated.   + Read more   + Archive

Division News Feb 13 - SPIE has honored two members of the ASD this year with awards. Dr. Marc Kuchner is the 2009 recipient of the SPIE Early Career Achievement Award. This award is in recognition of Marc's many outstanding achievements which have greatly facilitated the detection and characterization of extra-solar planets. Dr. Neil Gehrels is the 2009 recipient of the SPIE George W. Goddard Award. This award is in recognition of Neil's pioneering contributions in opening the gamma-ray spectral window as its own astronomical discipline though his leadership of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and the Swift mission. (Read more) Feb 11 - Al Kogut (665), the principal investigator of the balloon-borne Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer, is featured in Volume 5 Issue 2 of Goddard Tech Trends. (Permalink) Jan 29 - Neil Gehrels has won the 2009 Henry Draper medal, awarded by the National Academy of Sciences. The citation reads: "For his pioneering contributions to gamma ray astronomy. His leadership of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and the Swift Mission has led to new insights into the extreme physics of active galactic nuclei and gamma ray bursts." Jan 9 - Congratulations to Peter Serlemitsos of the X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, this year's winner of the Joseph Weber Prize, awarded by the American Astronomical Society for major contributions to astronomical instrumentation. Dec 1 - Applications invited for one or more CS positions in observational high-energy astrophysics in the X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory. Oct 20 - Congratulations to Richard Kelley and the SXS team for winning the IRAD Innovator of the Year award. The Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) team members include Nicholas P. Costen, Christine Jhabvala, Caroline Kilbourne, Samuel J. Moseley, Takashi Okajima, F. Scott Porter, Peter Serlemitsos, Peter Shirron, and Yang Soong. Oct 2 - Mike Mumma (PI), and his collaborators Carol Grady, Kenji Hamaguchi, Tim Kallman, Marc Kuchner, Rob Petre, and Aki Roberge had a successful proposal for the Goddard Center for Astrobiology (GCA), part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. News Archive... Awards Archive... Press Release Archive...